Oculist s instrument



Jan. 10, 1928.

A. HUMMEL ocULIsTs INSTRUMENT Filed sept. 23, 1s25 ZN VEA/ TOE /4/9 /onf/amme /QT To RNEY Patented den., 1li, 19528.,

ilNITE STTEIS retain Partnr lorrica.

ANTON HUMMEL, OF ST. LOUS, MISSOURI.

Application filed September 23, 1925. Serial No. 58,114.

This invention relatesK generally to oculists instruments and more par `cularly to a certain new and useful improvement,in such instruments ot the type commonly known as ophthalmoscopes, retinoscope-s, and the like. f

.fit the present time, so i'ur as Iain aware, the oeulist7 in the practice ot his profession. usually has two separate such instruments, both ot which are expensive and costly, one used hy him athis oliice, where desired linecircuit current is conveniently obtainable, and one used by him when visitingapatient, where the desired line-circuit current not conveniently or readily had. rllhe primary object ot my presentinvention is hence the provision ot an eilicent instrument ot the type mentioned that may with ease and'convenience `and with accruing saving to the oculist be interchangeably*employed by the oculist both at his oiiice in connection with line-circuit service and on visits out oit his otlice where line-circuit service is not obtainable.

And with the above and other objects in View, my present invention resides in the novel 'features oi term, construction, `arrangement, and combination of parts hereinatt-er described and pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawingy Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly broken away and in section, ot' an ocu'lists instrument of ophthalmoscope type interchangeably equipped accordingto my inven-v tion with a resistance vcoil for service coniiection with line-wire current;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View of the instrument, taken approximately on the line QMQ, Figure 1, looking in the direction ol1 the arrows; and

Figure 8 is a fragment-al elevational View, partly broken away and in section, of the instrument interchangeably equipped with a portable source of electric current.

Referring more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which in Figures 1 and 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 designates apreferably tubular shell or casing of suitable stiit insulation material, which is adapted to provide both the handle of the instrument and a container for certain ot the electrical parts or elements thereof,y

Adapted for interchangeable disposition lei'igthwise within shell 1, is a 'suitable elee nating at the end et the spool opposite the button 5 iin alignment with a socket-opening 7 in an insulation piece 8 suitably fixed to the spool.r Jlilso lined to the latter end ot' spool l about the insulation-piece 8, is a conductingdisk 9, having electrical connection' with which at one end is a short conducting wire 1.0 lined for electrical engagement at its other end in the wall eta secondsocletopening 11 in the insulation-piece 8. Coiled on the spool 1, is suitable resistance wire 1Q, interposed in which in alignment with said tapped openings ofthe bar 6, are one or more apertured plates 13 adapted selectively -to receive a conducting screw 111 for engagement with the bar 6 to cut in more or less ot the resistance-wire 1Q, as may be desired or required.

Fixed upon one end' ot the body 1, vis a conducting-ring- 15 internally threaded for engagenfient with an externally threaded flanged conducting-closure 16 suitably apertured centrally in its end wall to accon'unodate, when threaded upon the spool, the spool insulation socket-member 8, and adaptA ed tor disposition between the end-wall ot the closure 16 and the end-disk 9 ot the spool 4l, as in Figure 1` or between the closure 1G and the end-wall 2 ot the cell 2, as in Figure 3, to provide electrical connection therebetween, iis a conducting coiled spring 1.7 adapted also to yieldingly press the cell 2 orthe spool t upwardly to maintain either the spool-button 5 or the cell-button 2b, as the case may be, in electrical engagement with a contact-button, or, as recited in the yappended claims, a second contact-member, 18 projecting from an insulation closure 19 tired upon a conducting annular men'ib'er 20, in turn, lined upon the other or upper-end, and forming substantially a part, ott the body or shell 1. i H

Upstanding from 'the lined closure .19, is

fil)

a suitable stem 21 diametrically reduced, as at 22, to receive and support the several lens and light carrying member 23 of the instrument. Inasmuch as the member 23 and its associated and essential parts are ot standard construction, Well understood i by those skilled in the art, I omit here detail description thereof. Suffice it now to say that dis posed in stem 21, is a contact-pin 2li, or, as recited in the appended claims, a tirst contact member, with which the terminal 25 ot the incandescentbulb 2G ot member 23 is adapted to electrically engage when the member 23 is operatively seated upon the stem 21, as shown. Further disposed in stem 21, are conducting-bars 27 one leading from the contact 2l to an arc-shaped conducting-strip 28 lixed upon the under-tace of the closure 19 and the other leading to the conductingring 20, one end ot' the strip 28 being insulated, as at 29.

Electrically' pivoted, as at iii), on the lixed button 18 and projectingl outwardly ot the shell 1 for movement in an annular closed-Y end slot 31 provided in the lined ring 20, is a switch-member 32 insulated, as shown, from the ring 2O and fixed at itsy outer end to, and also insulated from, an actuating conducting ring arranged for rotatory movement upon the ixed ring 20. Forming substantially part of switch-member 32, is a brush 34: adapted for movable electrical engagement with the strip 28, and normally, as when the switch-ring 33 is in oii' position, resting upon the insulation portion 29 thereof. And electrically connecting the l lower fixed ring 15 With the upper lixed ring 2O and disposed along the inner tace ot the shell 1, is a conducting-inember orl strip 35.

Now, normally, as I might say, as when the instrument is to be used or employed by the oculist as on a. visit away from his ottice, a cell 2 is-disposed .vithinthe shell 1, when the circuit to the bulb 26 will extend through cell end-Wall 2, ivire coil 17, closure 16, ring 15, conducting strip 35, upper iixed ring 20, rotatory ring 33, one bar 2T, bulb 2G, and then from the bulb 25 through the other bar 27, strip 28, switch-member and contact-button 18 to the button 2b of the cell. It will thus be evident that, as the ring 33 is rotatably moved, the switch-brush Sel will be shifted from said insulation 29 and on to the conducting portion proper of the strip 28 and the circuit to the bulb 26 from the contained source ot current 2 completed.

Now, on the other hand, if the' instrument is to be used by the doctor in his olhce, it is preferred, in order that there may be a more steady source ot current than is usually provided by the cel'l 2, the closure 16 is detached to permit removal .of the cel'l 2 and the interchangeable insertion within the shell 1 olf the resistance coil 8, when the closure 16 is again threaded into engagement with the ring 15.

nenas/oo Usually, however, the current of the linecircuit is too intense or ot too high voltage to permit direct connection between the coil 3 and the line-circuit, and in orde-r lirst to reduce the line-circuit to a proper or safe voltage tor the coil 8, I plug into the line circuit one terminal 3G ot a suitable transformer 37 provided with a second pin-terminal 38, Which is plugged into the insulation piece or socket-terniinal 8, whereupon the circuit through the instrument extends from the one terminal-pin 39 to the conducting strip 10, spool disk 9, the Wire coil 17, endclosure 1G, ring 15, conducting strip 35, ring 20, Arotary ring 33 and one bar 27 to the bulb 2G and then from the ybulb 26 through the other bar 2T, strip 28, switch-member 82, and contact-button 18 to the upper button 5 of the coil, and then through resistance Wire 12 and the bar 6 to the other pin 40 of transformer terminal 3S, electrical connection between resistance-Wire 12k and bar G being established'by means ot the insertion selectively ot the conducting` member 1li into one or the other ot the apertured plates 13, and one or more units ot the resistance being thereby included in the circuit as may be desired to further reduce the intensity of the transformed current. The circuit is coinpleted or closed and light bulb or other translating device 26 is then similarly energized by actuation of the conducting ring 33.

Thus, I provide an instrument which the oculist may interchangeably employ both While at his oliice and While visiting patients away from his otiice and thereby obviate the expense to the oculist oit tivo separate instruments adapted one tor use only at the oiiice or in connection with a line-circuit Where connection with the line circuit is obtainable, and one usable `when engagement with the line circuit is not obtainable.

I am aware that changes in the i'orm, con struction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my new instrument may be made and substituted ior those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle .ot my invciu tion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an instrument ot the class described, a shell open at an end, first and second contacts disposed in spaced relation on the shell, circuit-formingconductors between the lirst and second contacts, a switch mounted for movement on the shell and interposed in said conductors tor closing` and opening the circuit between said contacts, and means including a conducting` closure for the open end or' the shell having electrical connection with the iirst Contact, in combination with a resistance-coi'l disposed Within the shell intermediate the closure and the second contact iii) llo

- for electrical connection with a source oitV and having' contacting' electrical relation therewith, the coil beingadapted for electrical connection with a source 01": current supply.

2. In an instrument of the class described, a shell open at an end, first and second con* tacts disposed in spaced relation on the shell, circnit-for1ning conductors between the first and second contacts, a switch mounted for movement on the she'll and interposed in said conductors for closing;l and oliiening` the circuit between said contacts, an apertured conducting' closure for the open end ot the shell7 and conducting n'ieans upon the shell for electrically connectingl the closure vwith the lirst contact, in combination with a resistance-coil disposed Within theshell intermediate the closure and the second contact and having' contacting' electrical relation therewith, and a socket-terminal npon the coil projecting' outwardly oit the shell through the aperture of the closure, whereby the coil is adapted supply.

3. in an instrument of the class described, a. shell open at an end, nrst and second contracts disposed inspaced relation on the shell,

circuit-forming conductors between the irst and second contacts, a switch mounted for movement on the'shell and interposed in said conductors for closing and opening the circuit between sai d contacts, an apertured conducting closure tor the open end of the shell, and conducting ineans upon the shell for elec 'tricallyiconnecting the closure With the iirst Contact, in combination with a spool disposed within the shell intermediate the closure and second contact,'resistance Wire coiled in units upon the spool,V conducting-pieces on the spool for electrical connection with said wire and having contactingy electrical relation with the closure and second Contact, a socketterininal upon the spool projecting outwardly oil" the shell through the aperture olthc closure whereby the resistance wire is adapted for electrical rconnection With a source oi' supply, and means for selectiveljT includ inn' units of said resistance wire. Within the circuit.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my nainerto this specification.

' .ANTGN HUlVMEL. 

